This Woman's Work
July 31, 2018 5:45 AM   Subscribe

I've always wanted to dig into Kate Bush's discography. I think Spotify has her entire musical oeuvre (which I have access to). Where should I start? Any specific albums or tracks? Thanks.
posted by Fizz to Media & Arts (24 answers total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
It really is hard to beat Hounds of Love, I’d start there
posted by evilmonk at 5:54 AM on July 31, 2018 [7 favorites]


I've never really done a deep dive into KB's full discography either, but my top 3 favorite Kate Bush songs are, in order:
-The Fog
-Running Up That Hill
-Cloudbusting
posted by helloimjennsco at 6:30 AM on July 31, 2018


Response by poster: So it looks like I was mistaken, I do not have access to all of her albums.

Here are the ones I can listen to on Spotify:
• The Kick Inside
• Lionheart
• Never For Ever
• Aerial
• Director's Cut
• 50 Words for Snow
posted by Fizz at 6:45 AM on July 31, 2018


While I adore Kate, I would take a step past The Kick Inside, and start with Lionheart. This is mostly because while I love "Wuthering Heights", the version rerecorded on "The Whole Story" is, in my opinion, better than the original. (Except for "The Man With The Child in His Eyes", which is really excellent at all times.)

If you want a good overview, I suggest, in fact, "The Whole Story", which will give you a nice taste of a number of her songs. After that, go back and go to TKI, and listen through. There are excellent songs, and there are clunkers, but the former outnumber the latter, and then you'll get to The Red Shoes, which I have not found a single track on I did not love unreservedly. And then you'll reach Aerial, which is transcendent.

Director's Cut is fun, and 50 Words for Snow is a very mood album - not moody, mood. It evokes a mood, and I've played it for friends and none of us can agree what mood it is, which I love in an album.
posted by mephron at 6:50 AM on July 31, 2018 [2 favorites]


...they don't have Hounds of Love? Bastards!
posted by mephron at 6:51 AM on July 31, 2018


They do have Hounds of Love! Not sure how you are searching, but I am literally listening to Hounds of Love on Spotify right now.

The Kick Inside
Lionheart
Never For Ever
The Dreaming (one of my favorites)
Hounds of Love (favorite favorite)
The Sensual World (another favorite)
The Red Shoes
Aerial
50 Words For Snow
Before The Dawn

all are coming up for me. Plus the single King of the Mountain.
posted by fiercecupcake at 6:58 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Well firstly, congratulations! You are about to have your life enhanced dramatically by the presence of her magnificent works.

Like most good music, it will probably take a minute to get into it. So, to give yourself a good chance of doing so without losing patience (I often have to FORCE my poor, 21st century media consuming brain to slow down and take in a promising new album), I suggest choosing your path according to what you think will ring your bell. Allow me to present you with some options:

I want to hear the sound of a prodigious 18-year-old writing a highly competent first album and take things from there, chronologically - start at the beginning with The Kick Inside, it's not her best album but it's got Wuthering Heights (the "it's me cathy" one that everyone knows) and a load of other highly enjoyable moments.

I think I'd like a really like to start with her best work - some people think her best album is Hounds of Love, it's got a lot of the big hitters on it (Running up that hill, Cloudbusting, and more), but it's a bit of a concept piece so be ready to strap in. My personal advice would be to dive into The Sensual World, every song on it with perhaps one or two exceptions, stands firmly on it's own as an unskippable delight.

But that one is a bit serious - ok well in that case, The Red Shoes - also consistently great, but she's having a lot more fun on that one and you can dance a jig to at least two songs on it

No classics, I like my boundaries pushed, lets keep it weird - easy, in that case you need Never For Ever, a treasurebox of fairlight-led trinkets of songs, fun and interesting to listen to for most, especially fun and interesting when you know what she was up to behind the scenes to make all those now-sadly-dated noises.

What about her later works - Aerial has some gorgeous moments, I never managed to slog through 50 Words For Snow enough times to get properly fond of it. But to be honest, starting with those feels a bit like reading the last book in a long series. I think they're more interesting and accessible if you know where she's come from to get there.

Finally: I just saw your post and that's weird cause all her albums are there for me. But don't let Spotify keep you from Doing This Right. Youtube should be able to convey your tunes of choice to you - this is an important business so make sure you approach it correctly.

Postscript: Directors Cut is not mentioned in this list, which is because I am of the opinion that it should have Never Happened, ymmv.
posted by greenish at 6:58 AM on July 31, 2018 [12 favorites]


Oh, and if you want to listen to Hounds of Love and Spotify is holding out on you, the full album is also on Youtube for free, ditto The Dreaming and I think also The Sensual World.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:00 AM on July 31, 2018


Spotify has Hounds of Love, as I know because I listened to it with my tiny baby last night, and then realized that maybe it is not suitable for babies.
posted by madcaptenor at 7:02 AM on July 31, 2018


Response by poster: I just saw your post and that's weird cause all her albums are there for me.

I'm in Canada, so there might be some licensing/copyright bullshit that is preventing the entire discography from being available but can confirm, I tried a search and Hounds of Love is not available, but you're right about YouTube, so I'll go there.

Thanks for all the feedback, looking forward to diving into this over the next few weeks. <3
posted by Fizz at 7:04 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]


I see that Greenish and I have a significant level of disagreement, but that's fine. At the end of the day we're all suspended in gaffa.
posted by mephron at 7:29 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]


Assuming you can find Hounds of Love somehow, say on Youtube: the "concept piece" is only the second side of the album (from "And Dream of Sheep" onwards). This should really be consumed as one half-hour thing, not seven individual songs.
posted by madcaptenor at 7:32 AM on July 31, 2018


Response by poster: So I started with The Sensual World and I'm getting some very strong Joanna Newsom vibes. Kate's voice is not as high and feels more in control than Joanna, but yeah I'm digging this.

This is not a complaint.
posted by Fizz at 7:48 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]


mephron, if my first dramatic flame-out is going to be in a Kate Bush thread then I feel ok about that. LETS FIGHT.

Only kidding, all fans of her royal superbity are respected friends by default so long as we never bring up Director's Cut .
posted by greenish at 8:01 AM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: So I started with The Sensual World

I listened to the first 4 tracks and it didn't stick with me but Kick Inside is doing it for me, like wow. How the hell did I ever live my life without giving this album a proper listen. I'm so in love with this!!
posted by Fizz at 8:05 AM on July 31, 2018 [4 favorites]


I'd start with The Kick Inside, it's a bit uneven at times but has several more excellent tracks besides Wuthering Heights, so give it a chance. Lionheart and Never For Ever are my personal faves, I'm more partial to her earlier work. But it's all good.
posted by ovvl at 8:56 AM on July 31, 2018


Mother Stands for Comfort off Hounds of Love is a good one to focus on for her synth playing/ production (because there's not a lot else on the track). It's interesting how she gets wind instrument and mechanical organ textures out of the Fairlight as well as the way she makes it work with her voice and the bass. Also the drums = breaking stuff motif familiar from earlier work like Babooshka.
posted by hawthorne at 8:59 AM on July 31, 2018


Never For Ever is so good! Babooshka, Army Dreamers, Breathing (so good), you're in for a treat!

Rocket's Tail off The Sensual World is probably my all-time favorite of her's. I think I like her proggy side the best.
posted by cakelite at 9:20 AM on July 31, 2018


I started with The Kick Inside then moved on to Never for Ever. They're still my favorite Kate albums.
posted by porn in the woods at 9:59 AM on July 31, 2018


Response by poster: The Kick Inside has been on repeat pretty much all day. I might just be in a particular mood/place of my life but her voice is just reaching inside of me and really connecting.
posted by Fizz at 10:54 AM on July 31, 2018


you need the Kate Bush Christmas Special (youtube link) in your life.
posted by celestine at 11:33 AM on July 31, 2018 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: I've moved on to Lionheart. I'm digging on this in the same way as The Kick Inside. Both of these albums are just working for me. I'm legit dancing at work and people are giving me weird looks as they pass my desk.
posted by Fizz at 12:28 PM on July 31, 2018


Once you get really familiar with her studio work, dive into Beyond the Dawn and be wowed by that setlist, just skip the 1st and 5th track of the 2nd disc/act.
posted by Baphomet's Prime at 8:54 AM on August 1, 2018


> I'm legit dancing at work and people are giving me weird looks as they pass my desk

Let's make that situation worse.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:58 PM on August 1, 2018 [2 favorites]


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